Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy could sit down for future talks with Vladimir Putin (Image: GETTY)
But, Zelenskiy's inexperience makes Western officials and foreign investors wary. His campaign has relied heavily on social media and comedy gigs of jokes, sketches and song-and-dance routines that poke fun at his political rivals. Exit polls and early counting put 41-year-old Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who plays a fictional president in a popular TV series, comfortably ahead of incumbent President Petro Poroshenko in the first round, though short of a majority.
Zelenskiy's rise coincided with voters around the world upending the status quo, propelling anti-establishment forces such as U.S. President Donald Trump and Italy's 5-Star movement to power.
But incumbent Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko sought to portray Mr Zelenskiy as unfit to represent Ukraine abroad, and warned about his ability to take on Russian President Vladimir Putin in international talks.
Mr Poroshenko said: ”Russia won't be represented by Russian TV comedians, Maxim Galkin or Evgeniy Petrosyan,
